Plastic free: Dishwashing Liquid

Living plastic-free requires a ‘back to basics’ approach to living. For the most part I’m fine with that. I’m a back to basics kinda-gal. I’ve always washed dishes by hand, for example. But I may have to rethink this. Because now that I’ve pledged to let no new plastic into my life in 2007, my fav-fav-fav Sunlight Lemon Fresh, Grease Fighter Dish Washing Liquid has become off-limits.

In my EnviroWoman books, it’s now considered a SINNER because it’s completely packaged in plastic.

In February, when my Sunlight started to sputter and wheeze the way only an empty bottle of dish washing liquid does, I started my search for a non-plastic packaged alternative. Alas, no success. Even all the enviro-safe-options at Capers, the local shopping destination for all organic-granola types, came bottled in plastic. All are SINNERS (for definitions, see below). For Shame.

So I was forced to resort to using powdered automatic dishwasher detergent, which comes in a cardboard box.

And, I gotta say, it just isn’t the same. I miss my Sunlight. No bubbles. No fresh lemony scent. No ‘sweaky clean’ noise. Plus, ya gotta use HOT HOT water to get the dishes clean (more energy used), and ya gotta wear rubber gloves (which are probably really made of plastic anyhoo and will be something else I’ll have to give up once my current supply meets its demise). And what’s with that kinda slippery film you get on the dishes with the powdered stuff? Yuk, I don’t like that.

But all of that stuff is just about 'the experience' of washing dishes. Do the suds really make the dishes cleaner? Does the fresh lemony scent? Probably not. Come to think of it, there are probably alot of extra ingredients in dish washing liquid that are there more for the consumer experience than to get the dishes clean.

I bet that's true for alot of consumer products.

Anyway, I still Googled for home-made recipes for dishwashing liquid and found none that didn’t require ingredients that came packaged in plastic.

I’ve thought about trying my LUSH shampoo, which bubbles nicely in the shower. But at $11 for a bar-of-soap-sized-block.....that’s just too pricey for dishes – hey it’s almost too pricey for my precious golden locks.

I’ve even thought about using my liquid shower soap (a plastic-packaged leftover from the year 2006), but that kinda defeats the purpose of finding more earth friendly alternatives, doesn’t it?

Thus far I’ve been able to find non-plastic alternatives for most of the products I use in my daily life. Excluding deodorant (my own personal-plastic-nemesis). But I’m at a loss for a dish washing liquid replacement.

So if any of you know of any liquid dishwashing detergents that don’t come packaged in plastic…please make a comment or send an email. It would be hugely appreciated.

But if you don't, I'll just accept a less enjoyable 'dishwashing experience'. Afterall, I haven't suffered an out-break of Salmonella yet, so I'm assuming my dishes are still getting just as clean. I'm just not enjoying getting them clean as much. And that's a small price to pay for Mother Nature.

So here' show things add up:

Category: Dishwashing Liquid

SAINT: Any boxed powdered automatic dishwasher liquid detergent

Price: Comparable

Quality: Sub-par, and that's being generous. It's not the same Martha-experience at all, which makes you think (probably illogically) the dishes aren't getting as clean either.

SINNER: All Liquid dishwashing detergents, (Sunlight, Palmolive, Dawn, you name 'em, their a SINNER)

Lessons Learned:

• Choosing a plastic-free lifestyle forces you to get in-touch with your ‘back-to-basics' alter-ego. You know, the one you take when you go camping on some remote mountain top.
• Consumers need to 'rethink' the 'product experience'. Are there ingredients in our products that are there only to satsify our senses rather than to do the task at hand? Should Nature pay the price for us wanting a sensory experience? Are you willing to give up suds and lemon scents in order to consume less of Nature and have a healthier planet?